Long Time, No....

....See?

....Hear?

....Blog?

Yep, all of the above.

My wife gets home from work in about thirty minutes (it's now 3:01pm EST), so I challenged myself to get a (VERY) long overdue blog post out there before she gets home.

So, what have I been doing in the past two months, since I've put fingers to keyboard at the ole' blog?

Not much, really. We're still basking in the afterglow of getting our new home and getting settled. It's at a point, now, where everything has it's place and it's looking like we've been here for years.

Besides that, we bought a new vehicle.

We had two....a 2007 Ford Focus, that my wife bought before I came into the picture, and a 1996 Honda Civic that my wife won in a raffle about a year ago. The Honda has been very dependable, especially for having over 196,000 mile on it. The Focus....not so much. Don't get me wrong, it's been a pretty solid car but it's now getting to the "little things going wrong with it each month" stage....and usually to the tune of around $200.00-$300.00 a month.  Since we've both seen where this could lead, we decided to go car hunting before we really needed to. Long story short, we wound up getting a 2016 Jeep Patriot. We were lucky in that we were in a good position to put down a sizable (almost half) down payment. That, along with trading in the Focus (so long, pal) put our monthly payments at around $200.00 a month, so it didn't work out too badly.

My new home project is to get my office area set up and, as you can tell, it needs a lot of work.

Which I could use because, believe it, or not, I'm still writing....here and there...as well as going back and doing some editing on my NaNo project from four years (man, has it been that long?) ago. 

Speaking of NaNo, I've decided to not even attempt it this year. The past three years have been dismal failures....no one's fault but my own...and I don't want to disappoint myself again. To those of you doing it, I doff my Panama Jack and support you all the way. Maybe next year for me.

Next month, my wife and I will be celebrating our five year wedding anniversary. Not bad for a guy who had relegated himself to being a bachelor for the rest of his life. More to come on that topic next month.

So, how have you all been keeping? 

Tell me what's new and exciting in your lives. I have to live vicariously through someone! :)

Oh, and by the way, it's now 3:27pm EST. 

Challenge complete!

All NaNos Eve...

This Friday isn't just Halloween....or "All Hallows Eve"...it's also the day before November 1st....which is also the eve of National Novel Writing Month.

All Nanos Eve. <cue eerie music>

Sounds sort of ominous, eh?

Even though it shouldn't be something to "fear" (it's, actually, a lot of fun), it is something to prepare for. At least, for me. I've been participating since 2011 and, oddly enough, that's the only time I ever "won". In subsequent years, I've always started, but found excuses not to finish.

I'm, usually, a seat of the pants (or pantser) type of writer. I don't outline...I don't make very many notes and the ones I do make, I seem to forget about. Two years ago I found some notes for my abandoned story a few months after NaNo was over. I'm not sure how much of a difference those notes would have made, but they might have added some spark to the flame.

Who knows?

Anyway, I'm a bit (not too much...just a little) more prepared this year.

I decided I would work on some notes and see where that might get me. I wound up coming up with ten good story ideas that could carry me through to the finish line and, hopefully, to a completed book.

I also decided to do things a bit differently this year. Instead of one story, I'm going to work on a compilation of short stories. Hopefully ten. That way, I only need to do five thousand words per story. Now, should one story take over and I go to town, all the better.

If you're doing NaNo, this year, I wish you luck and let me know how your progress goes. If you'd like to 'buddy up', you can find me here.

If you're not participating this year, say a little prayer for those of us who are :)

Dream Big!

When my wife and I are out and about, I sometimes look around and think 'How did this person wind up with that person? What's the circumstances that brought them together?' Many times it's obvious, but other times...not so much.

I'm sure my friends probably thought the same thing when they met my wife. Personality-wise, we seem to be polar opposites. Even though we both have a great capacity for imagination, mine is more grounded in reality where my wife's is.....well, not. For her there is nothing that isn't possible. The only thing ever standing in her way is minor obstacles.

She's definitely a 'glass half full' type where I'm still wondering how the glass got there and who's going to empty it.

We started out as a long distance relationship. I lived in Northern Kentucky and she in Vero Beach, Florida. A place I had never even heard of, much less knew where it was. When we first started talking about taking our relationship to the next level, I was stumbling over logistics while her first statement was, "We'll make it work."

And we did.

When I (hesitantly) told her about my writing ambitions, she didn't scoff, laugh, or roll her eyes. She got this huge grin on her face and said "I can't wait to read your first book and then see it in the movies!" She's behind me, on whatever I want to do, 110%.

She's not only a dreamer, but she's a BIG dreamer. Initially her attitude had me flummoxed, but the more I was exposed to it, the more I started thinking along the same lines she did. While I still think my ground in reality is still more stable than hers, I'm learning to let some of it go and really wonder just what might happen if we dream big. When I saw the picture above, my wife was the first person I thought of....for many reasons.

As long as I've known her, she's been talking about getting an RV and travelling around in it. Now, when she first brought it up, I mentioned things like money, working around a job schedule, things like that. Her reply was, "Yes, I know....we can work that stuff out later."

And I'm sure we will.

Lately, I've found myself applying that same attitude towards my writing. Finish 'that book'? Of course. No doubt about it. How can I be so confident? Well, as a wise person once told me....

"We can work that stuff out later."

Blessings continue to abound.

Hope you all have a great week.

Question of the Day.

I read a lot of writer's blogs and follow a fair amount of writerly types on social media. A recurring theme seems to permeate any sort of advice writers give to new, aspiring, or even older, insecure, writers.

You have to read in order to write....or, at least, write well.

But, do you really? I ask this, not in a rhetorical sense, but as a legitimate question.

I mean, don't get me wrong.....I enjoy reading and think kids should get into it as soon as possible. In fact, if family legend (my mother) is to be believed, I taught myself to read before entering Kindergarten on a steady diet of comic books, Mr. Roger's Neighborhood, and Sesame Street. I still remember those old issues of Sad Sack and Richie Rich strewn all over my bed. Even with that achievement under my belt, I don't think I like reading near as much as some people who blog or use social media. And there's nothing wrong with these people, either. I'm a very strong advocate of reading, especially critical reading. The type that makes one think or forces someone to question something they might not have, had they gotten the information from another medium.

I just feel a little......inadequate....I guess is the word I'm looking for...when some feel the need to discuss how many books they've read or have on the burner.  Like when someone says they've read twenty books in a month.

Really??

Not that I'm doubting them, but I have to wonder where they get the time and what sort of books they're reading. I'm hard pressed to find a handful of books that can catch my interest and draw me in, much less twenty in one month. Maybe I'm more finicky as a reader? Maybe I need to expand my "reading horizons"? I don't know.

Grabbing my Kindle Fire, I can scroll through the carousel and see, probably, around ten books I've downloaded. Of those ten, I'm in the middle of (and have been for a while now) Save the Cat and The Vault of Walt (about Walt Disney), and have just started Gaiman's American Gods.

While I wouldn't, necessarily, consider myself a "slow reader", I feel like I'm chugging uphill in trying to finish these books.

Going back to my question, though, does reading trump actual writing when trying to become a better writer? I would think that reading other people's work, while I can certainly see some benefits in it, doesn't really do much towards helping you hone your own writing style. Maybe I shouldn't even say "trump"....maybe it's something that goes hand in hand with writing and honing your own abilities as well as finding your own style?

I don't know.

I also don't want this to come off as some sort of "anti-reading" type of discussion....it's not. As I said, I'm extremely pro reading....I just question as to whether it's imperative to be a good writer.

What do you think?

A New Hope!

Well, not -that- long ago....

The other night I got a familiar itch that I haven't had in quite a while and, no, it wasn't poison ivy.

The itch to jump back into my WIPs. Any would do, so I opted to go strap myself into my W.A.Y.B.A.C.K. machine and turn the dial to 2011. This was the year....the only year, unfortunately, that I won NaNoWriMo with a tale that mashed my love for old movies and science fiction.

The story of a defective, time repairing, android....The T.E.M.P. Agency. 

I've yet to come up with a decisive ending to the tale, but still hit my NaNo winning word count, so I happily chalked it up as a "win". 

Anyway, it's been a while since I've done any editing and decided the best way to do things was to go through and reread the whole story, then jump into editing. 

Now, here's the strange part. A lot of what I was reading sounded like someone else had written it. I mean, and not to toot my own horn, but there were quite a few areas where I was thinking "Man, this isn't half bad." Granted, the whole thing is still as rough as a sandpaper factory.....but going back and revisiting it, the thing has potential.

Anyone who really knows me, I mean someone who's known me for years, knows that I very, rarely, praise myself for doing much of anything. It's not that I don't have confidence, I do. I've just never been one to brag. Probably a byproduct of my midwestern upbringing. I've also never been one to crow about my writing....mainly because I've always seen it as very amateurish. 

Which, in many ways, it still is.

I've really been struggling with my writing, lately, as evidenced by my silence on this blog. The distractions I used to easily avoid have really been roping me in and I've been letting them. Mainly out of laziness, a bit of burnout, and coupled with some discouragement.

This, though, really gave me some hope. The more I read, the more I heard a Steve Urkel-esque voice in my head saying, "Did I do that?".

Like I said, my story, so far, isn't going to set the literary world on fire....but it's really warming up my little corner of the imagination and, more importantly, it's giving me......hope.

A Couch Trip....

True story....when I was a kid I dreamed of being an actor. Not just any actor, though, I dreamed of being a humongous star. Now, the hows and whys of my fantasy were never hashed out in my young brain, I just wanted to be famous. Part of that fantasy, especially back in the late 70s and early 80s, would just have to entail a spot on one of the biggest shows of all time.

The Tonight Show, starring the King of Late Night.....Johnny Carson.

I was always captivated how Carson and Ed McMahon made the whole gig seem so easy and I used to daydream about being a guest. Seriously, I would have these little conversations in my head between me and Mr. Carson where I was always witty and charming and had the audience rolling in the aisles.

Now, why am I sharing this bit of childhood trivia?

Because, to this day, I still like when people ask about my life or interview me. I mean, come on, who doesn't like to talk about themselves?

Anyway, as I was thinking (for the past two days) about what I might post about, I hit a wall. I couldn't come up with anything that got me jazzed about doing a blog post. So I figured I'd do what I do, a lot of times, when I get stuck writing.....I'd read.

I started going through my sorely neglected Feedly feed and came upon a great post by one of my favorite bloggers....Robin, over at Your Daily Dose. It seems that a blogging buddy had bestowed upon her the "coveted" Liebster Award. So, instead of naming other victims recipients, she decided to just throw it out there to the ether and if someone needed some blogging material they could use it.

So, with a "yoink", a cut, and a paste a blog post was born.

Thank you, Robin, and without further ado.....

Heeeeeeeeerrre'sssss Marrrrrrkyy!! (cue Tonight Show theme)



1) Have you ever met someone famous?

Quite a few people, actually. One of my favorites would have to be Bruce Campbell. A heck of nice guy who hasn't let his own brand of fame go to his head. I've also met pro-wrestler Stone Cold Steve Austin, Highlander t.v. series star Adrian Paul (an extremely nice guy), Adam West (a jerk), and Walking Dead co-creator Robert Kirkman.

2) What concert would you pay a "ridiculous" amount of money to see? The person or band can be dead or alive.

That's an easy one.....Elvis Presley. Second choice would be The Rolling Stones

3) What personality trait do you like best about yourself?

My (sometimes) quick wit.

4) If you could meet a character in a book, who would you choose?

Sherlock Holmes. I mean, come on, not take a chance to meet one of the inspirations for Batman? No way!

5) If you won the lottery, how would you spend the money?

Honestly, I'm way too "Mid-Western" to answer this question any other way but boring. I'd pay off my bills, buy a nice home and two cars and help my family and friends out any way I could. I guess I could use it to pay that ridiculous money to see Elvis or The Stones, too.

6) Do you believe that there is such a thing as "having it all"?

No. I don't think human nature would ever allow for us to be completely satisfied. Close, maybe, but not entirely.

7) Have you ever had a paranormal experience of any kind?

I'm contractually obligated by the United States Government to not answer that question....sorry.

8) What is the most important trait for a person to have in order to achieve success in their life? Job? Relationships? (It can be one trait that ties them all together or separate ones...)

I don't care what anyone says...I believe honesty can get you the furthest in life. Though, I also believe you can be honest and still be tactful. In the spirit of #8 I'll confess that I lied on the previous question.

9) What is holding you back from achieving your dreams?

I'm afraid to take big risks. Small ones, yes, but not the real big ones. Probably another reason I never became an actor.

10) What is your favorite time of day?

Actually, it's very late a night when it's quiet and things are peaceful.

"O.k, we'll be right back after these important messages...." (cue music)

I'd like to thank Robin, again, for the great questions and helping to get my creative juices going. Also, if you haven't checked out Robin's blog, Your Daily Dose, do yourself a favor and give it a look It's a lot of fun.

Have a great weekend!

IWSG: March, 2014-- Back In The Saddle

Look here, greenhorn, it’s only a horse.

That’s easy for you to say plus, look at the thing.....that’s one big horse. That saddle looks a little....strange, too.

Yeah, sure it’s big but ya rode it before….all ya gotta do is hop back up in the saddle, doesn't matter what it looks like. Once ya do that, the rest will come to ya.

Sure…if you say so…

Trust me, pardner.

Uh huh...

And, with that, I hop back onto my monthly foray into the area of the writing journey that could, possibly, bring some mental discomfort.

It’s time, once again, for an Insecure Writer’s Support Group post! The brainchild of Ninja Captain Alex J. Cavanaugh, the IWSG is a safe haven for those of us wanting to let loose our literary insecurities to an unsuspecting (o.k, that part isn't true...they know it's coming) blogosphere.

So, anyone who’s still following this blog knows it’s been no secret that I’ve been quite lax, lately, in my writing and blogging.  For a guy who had over one hundred posts last year, it’s a bit discouraging to look at my sidebar and only be logging two entries in as many months. Not that it's strictly a 'numbers game', I definitely think quality trumps quantity, any day. Like I've said before, it's just going to be a matter of me buckling down and writing. That's it.

Besides that, though, I really don't have much in the way of "insecurities" to speak of this month. I'm getting excited to be writing/blogging again and even editing isn't seeming like a trip to the dentist's office anymore.

With me, as always, it's just a matter of staying on course and getting/keeping organized. I'm looking forward to the day, though, when I can write about my insecurities revolving around whether or not people like the book I've just published.

Some day....some day.

Into the Groove....

It's more than just a pre-whacked out, Madonna song....it's also how I'm starting to feel, recently.

I've been getting back into my writing groove, still working on The T.E.M.P Agency and taking some good advice I've seen and printed the whole thing out, which is really helping with the editing. Now, for that pesky ending!

I've, also, even managed to get around to some other blogs. I've really missed you guys! If I haven't gotten around to littering your comments section with craziness, don't worry, I'll get there soon.

I've also joined the Insecure Writer's Support Group over on Facebook and, as much as I really loathe FB (sometimes), I have to say that it's a great forum and everyone is extremely supportive. If you haven't given it a look, it's well worth your time. On that note, I'm going to try to have an IWSG post up for tomorrow and get back on that horse, as well.

In case you didn't notice the musical theme of this (and my previous) post and just in case the big ole' badge on my sidebar didn't give it away, I will be participating in the A to Z Challenge this year. I was hesitant to sign up, but I also feel like I really need to just jump back into blogging with both feet. This seemed like a good way to help accomplish that goal. I have a few ideas on how to work smarter and not harder, so we'll see if they pan out.

Oh, and by the way, my theme isn't music videos......or is it?? =)

Actually, I'm still not sure what theme I'm going with, but I do have a couple of ideas rattling around and they have also passed my X,Y,Z Test, as well.

I hope you're all having a great week, so far, and I really appreciate all the support you've been sending my way.

Keep writing and talk to you soon.

Running on Empty....

It's more than just the title to a Jackson Brown song, it's also how I've been feeling of late.

I was a bit saddened to check the sidebar and notice that almost two months have gone by and I don't have one post to show for it.

Truth to tell, though, I've just felt.....drained. I guess that's the best word to describe everything. Like I'm, literally, running on empty. Not just in writing, but in everything. Not that my life is bad, or anything, it's just that I feel like I'm being pulled in a million directions at once.

It's not that I don't have the time to write/blog. Even though my new working dynamic doesn't afford me all the free time I used to have, I still have plenty of it. I guess I've just been opting for things that don't really force me to think.

I have been writing, though, but in short bursts, and have gone back to revising my original NaNo project, The T.E.M.P Agency. I've also been making it a priority to read more. Right now I'm in the middle of a book about Walt Disney (The Revised Vault of Walt) and have also started Gaiman's American Gods.

It's, sort of, like trying to climb out of quicksand or thick mud. You have to take things slow and easy or else you get sucked back down into the muck and mire.

If nothing else, this post is just a reaffirmation of my intentions to get back on the writing/blogging horse in some way, shape, or form. I know I've been a terrible blogging buddy as well. But, in time, I plan on making more effort to read/comment on all the great blogs I follow. I just need to get my boots out of the mud.

I hope everyone's having a great week and, depending on where you live, staying warm.

The "Write" Stuff...

The picture above is of the latest additions to my arsenal in the War On Writing. Yes, you read that right....I'm waging a "war" on writing and won't consider myself "victorious" until I'm finished with my latest WIP.

Up until recently, I've been using Yarny, Microsoft Word, and Google Docs to aid me in my battle. There isn't anything wrong with these methods, mind you, but now I think it's time to go "old school" and get back to basics.

I've had the blue spiral binder for about a month and it's pretty handy. It's a three subject binder with double pockets separating each subject.  The first has been designated for character profiles, town background, etc. Basically, world building things. The second is for outlining and general notes. The third has yet to be determined...maybe doodles or something...I don't know.

The two composition books were found at the local CVS, two for five dollars, so I grabbed a couple. I'm not sure what I'll be using these for...maybe more specialized notes? The pens are some cheapy (a pack of ten for a dollar something, I think) Paper Mate Eagles, which write remarkably well. So what if they have caps instead of clicky-clicky things?

Anyway, I've been putting these to good use and have found it a bit liberating to be able to "work" on my project while outside or at the pool or any other place I don't want to lug the laptop to.

My one rule in using these tools is to always write in pen. If I don't like an idea, I just put a single, solitary, line through it. Who knows when I might go back and think it wasn't such a bad idea down the road?

How about you....anyone else still use some of the more mundane methods to help with their writing?

Until next time, wish me luck as I storm the beaches and try to conquer my war on writing!

Have a great weekend!

The Organizational Morass

I don't know how long you have to be writing to develop your own 'style' but, if I had to describe how I write....my style, as it were, I would describe myself as a 'seat of the pants' (or pantser, in the NaNoWriMo vernacular) type of writer.

Now, I don't see anything really "wrong" with that sort of style, but that's not really how I am, as a person. I'm a pretty organized....some (my wife) would say too organized....type of guy. I like 'to do' lists, I like things to be in certain places, I like doing things "just in case", and I like preparing for contingencies.

One of the first things I did when I moved down to Florida was to make preparations in case of a hurricane...something my wife and her family have never done even after going through a few of them in the past.

Anyway, I digress.

The point of this little post is to ponder why, as a self professed "organized" person, I don't practice that in my writing? 

Why am I content to make just a few notes and then sit down, trying to come up with things off the cuff?

Why am I settling for 'organized (semi) chaos' when I wouldn't settle for that in most other aspects of my life?

I guess the only answer I can come up with is that I'm not very sure just how to get organized, to begin with.

Notes, I can do. 

Lists are really no problem.

Outlining, though, that's the tricky one. I keep reading about outlining being a "must"...especially for a well crafted story...and I think that's part of my downfall. I know how to do outlines (I think), but I'm not sure as to the extent and complexity they need to be in order to help get all my ideas across.

It's something I'm still working on as I go through character bios, world building, and the odds and ends of my new project.

With that said, I'll throw it out to all you writer folks out there.....

How do you organize your ideas? Post it notes? Notebooks? Excel spreadsheets?

Do you outline? If so, how in depth do you go?

Any good websites on the subject to recommend? 

In the meantime, I'll just be here slogging around in an organizational morass.

IWSG February 6, 2013

It's that time of the month again. Man, it seems like it's only been about thirty days since we last had a first Wednesday of the month....go figure.

Anyway, the first Wednesday of the month means that it's time for another Insecure Writer's Support Group post.  The IWSG is the brainchild of that Wizard of Words, the Swami of Synonyms, that Baron of Blogging, the Upper Echelon of Encouragement....the Ninja Captain, himself, Alex J. Cavanaugh. As always, a big thank you to Alex for hosting.

The IWSG posts are a place to discuss with our fellow bloggers the ups, downs, and sideways of writing and what makes us feel a bit insecure.

This month, I'd like to talk about.......the future! <insert Doc Brown's voice here> "Great Scott!!"

The more I think about writing, the more I wonder just how I'm going to proceed. I mean, obviously, I want to improve...that's a given and I think there will always be room for that.

I mean, after that. When I finally finish my story...edit it...polish it up...edit it some more....what's the next step?

I've read about doing a "query", but am not real sure what all that entails.

Do I look for representation?

Do I self-publish?

Do I traditionally publish?

Am I  being arrogant in thinking that anyone would actually pay real money to read my stuff?

Now, I know I'm not the first, nor will I be the last, to ask these questions, but they really do give me pause and I get the feeling that I'll be in for a lot of research, once I get to this point.

So tell me, future-boy (or girl), if you've already passed this stage in your writing, what advice would you give your past self, if you could hop in the DeLorean and travel back in time?

Fries Day

I like french fries. Especially MacDonald's french fries.

What's that got to do with this post? Nothing really, besides sounding like "Friday"....that and I just like french fries....oh, and tater tots.

I don't really have much to report on the writing front today. As productive as last week seemed to be, this week has been, almost, the complete opposite.

In comic book terms, it'd be a 'Bizarro Friday'.....or 'Day-Fri'...however you want to think about it.

When I tally up the score, it looks a little like this:

In the 'minus' column I've got....

• I did zero writing on any of my projects.
• I did very little editing...like a few decimals away from zero.
• I didn't read like I wanted to. I have two books that need finishing up with many waiting in the wings. 
• I wanted to come up with five story ideas. I came up with...you guessed it...zero.

I can't really beat myself up too much, though, because in the 'plus' column I've got....

• I took part in a great bloghop, the "Please Allow Me to Re-Introduce Myself" hop was a lot of fun and I met a ton of new and interesting blogging buddies.
• I've stuck to my new blogging schedule that I set up last week, which meant that I was writing.
• I signed up for the "Blogging from A to Z Challenge", (link on sidebar) which looks like a lot of fun. 
• I came across another fun looking hop, the "Level Up!" blogfest, which is going on Feb. 20th. (link on sidebar)

All in all, not a terrible week when it came to writing.

How about you? Any progress on any of your projects? Have a 'minus' or 'plus' week?

Regardless, though, I hope you all have a great weekend.

With all this talk about french fries, I'm going to leave you with a recipe so that, you too, can make your very own MacDonald's french fries.

Bon appetit'!

Ham on Wry

If there's one thing I really enjoy in a story, it's wry humor. The Myth series, by Aspirin spring to mind as a good example. It's something I try to interject into most of the things I write, because I think it's a trait that a lot of people can relate to.

I mean, if we, ourselves, aren't the sarcastic, wise cracking, one....we all know someone else who is, right? I think the above clip (from Rocky III) is a pretty funny example. This is back in the days when pro wrestling was still under "kayfabe"...meaning that everyone in the wrestling biz acted as if it was all real. Don't get me wrong, I think pro wrestling is just as legitimate in an athleticism sense as any other sport, but as far as winners and losers go, it's all rigged.

Duh...I mean, yeah we know that now. Back then, though, it was a totally different story as this movie example of the classic 'boxer (Rocky) vs wrestler (Hulk "Thunderlips" Hogan)" clearly illustrates.

Rocky knows it's a charity event and doesn't seem fazed by the almost seven foot tall Thunderlips, but the rest of his corner crew aren't so confident.

"Why they carrying him?"

"He's walkin'."

I love the expression on Burgess (Mickey) Meredith's face after Rocky reminds him that Bob Hope would go this far for charity and his reply...."That's true..."

"Rocky....you better call Bob Hope..."

The best part of this clip, by far, is Rocky asking the question of how much Thunderlips eats.

"About 202lbs" Mickey says, smiling, just as Leroy Nieman announces Rocky's weight of 202lbs.

A nifty bit of writing there...especially for a Rocky movie.

I think it's the little dry quips like these that can really add a lot of flavor to dialogue...especially during a time when blatant "humor" isn't really expected. There are plenty of examples of this in many movies, t.v. shows, and books, but this exchange always sticks in my mind as a classic.

For me, trying to write out and out humor, I think, would be hard. I'm just not that 'funny'. I would consider myself 'witty'....but I'm no Rodney Dangerfield. The 'dry' type of humor is a bit more forgiving because if it's not caught, it's no big deal....it just passes for dialogue. If it is caught, though, it can really work to liven up a scene as well as be appreciated by the audience.

In your writing, do you try to interject some humor? If so, to what extent?

Introductions

I happened across this cool blog hop a few weeks ago and it seemed like a great opportunity to get to know some of my fellow bloggers a bit better. Hosted by Stephen Tremp, Mark Koopmans, Elise Fallson, and C.M. Brown, it's a quick hop to get acquainted (or re-acquainted) with others in the vast blogosphere and a big 'thank you' to them for hosting this shindig.

Anyway, I've never really considered myself an "interesting" person. I've always been one to play things 'safe' and have never been a risk taker. I enjoy writing because it lets me do, with words, things I probably wouldn't do in real life.

Growing up, my dad was in the Navy and that meant travel. A lot of travel...at least in the eyes of a young boy. We moved about every two years until I was around twelve years old. The most exotic place we lived was Sigonella Sicily. Anyone familiar with the area knows it's near the active volcano Mt. Aetna. Aetna puts on a pretty impressive light show, from time to time, and I used to have a pretty neat collection of volcano rocks (which got lost in subsequent moves). A neat place to visit, but I don't think I'd want to live there on a permanent basis.

Mt. Aetna

All that traveling, though, early in my life set me up for something positive in that I found I made friends easily. It was, pretty much, a necessity going from school to school every couple of years.

I've covered, in another post, about my beginnings as a writer....but, not as a blogger. Though, I really don't consider myself a "blogger" (or really a "writer", for that matter) as much as I do "someone who blogs occasionally", it's something I'm enjoying more an more and, especially, as I start to interact with other bloggers in the community.

When I checked my blogger profile it says I've been using blogger since 2006. Really? Wow...that must have been when I signed up, because I clearly haven't been using it since then. It's only been within the past few years that I started blogging on an even semi-regular basis.

Emphasis on 'semi'.

Anyway....long post longer....my name is Mark. I like to write and create and I look forward to interacting and encouraging my fellow bloggers and writers.

Nice to meet you =)

The "Non Blog Post"....Post

O.k, just a quick "non post" here to do some light "house cleaning".

To try to get more into the 'swing' of writing (at least, something) on a daily basis, I'm going to try to stick to the following blog schedule.

Posted here for accountability...

Monday, Wednesday, Friday: I'll be posting something here. I'll try to keep the focus on writing, my process, my projects, etc.....'cause it's all about me, ya know :P

Tuesday, Thursday, Saturday: I'll be putting some sort of randomness up on my 'general purpose' blog, found here.

Hopefully, it won't be too much but will be enough to get me putting words to (virtual) paper on a regular basis.

Now...back to the blogoshpere!

Character Study

I always wonder if I ever truly develop my characters. I mean, as much as they should be developed.

Oh sure, I give them names, some motivations, some quirks and traits, but do I really develop them? Is it something that should be asked the journalistic questions of who, what, when, where, and why?

• Who was their high school sweetheart?
• What was the best day of their life?
• When did they develop "X" trait?
• Where do they want to retire to?
• Why are they fascinated by ankles?

Up to this point, I've always tried an....organic...I guess you'd call it, approach. As the story developed, so did the character. They've been more reactive then set in stone. I know that a good character can drive the story or, for that matter, make you not really care so much about the story as you do the character's journey. All points to ponder.

Maybe I should come up with a checklist, of sorts, to help answer some of the "basics" of just who these characters are?

I forget which RPG (that stands for Role Playing Game...for the uninitiated) it was, I think it was "Traveller", but they had something called a "life path" where you would roll and the dice would tell you what happened at different points in the character's life. I always thought it was a royal pain, at least in terms of making a role playing character, but something like that would really be useful for coming up with story characters if you didn't feel like putting a lot of work into it.

Is something like this a "cheat" or a "tool" and does it really matter if the outcome is well rounded character?

What are some of your methods for fleshing out characters?

Whodunit??

For the past five, maybe six, months I've been on a 'murder/mystery' kick of sorts. No, I don't mean I've been wanting to murder someone....I'm talking about the writing genre. I've always been a fan of riddles, "whodunits", and locked room mysteries. To that end, I get my "fix" in quite a few ways.

Whether it be by listening to old time radio programs like Nero Wolfe or reading Sherlock Holmes novels or, and more recently, by watching the old Ellery Queen Mysteries.

It's been the character of Ellery Queen that has captured my imagination, of late.

Ellery Queen is, actually, a gestalt character (and pseudonym) created by two New York cousins, Daniel Nathan (aka Frederic Dannay) and Manford Lepofsky (aka Manfred Bennington Lee) who began writing the tandem mystery novels back in the 1930s. Known as "fair play" mysteries, the author(s) leave all the clues out there so that the reader has just as much chance of solving the crime as Ellery Queen does. Though, it does take quite a bit of thought.

Created in 1928, the fictional Queen is a mystery writer who always seems to get involved in helping his father, Inspector Richard Queen, solve all manner of baffling mysteries. The character has been seen in many forms, from books, to radio, to television, to movies.

I think I was first introduced to the character of Ellery Queen via the t.v. version. Back during the NBC show's run in the 1970s, when I was just a wee lad. Played by Jim Hutton (father of Timothy), Queen was a bit of an absent minded professor type, but a brilliant writer and criminologist. His father, Richard Queen, was played brilliantly by David Wayne. Another character of note, at least for me, was Simon Brimmer. An Orson Wells type radio actor and, sort of rival, for Queen in the sleuthing department He was played by John Hillerman. (Higgins of Magnum P.I. fame!)

Ellery is in the blue suit...not the scared looking guy in glasses.

A bit more recently, I remember Ellery Queen being a supporting character in the Innovation comic series, The M.A.Z.E. Agency. A great book (early in it's run) that was written, true to form, in the "fair play" style. Here, Queen was a suave, smooth, almost Sherlock Holmesian, detective and not a "fictional character". A total 180 degrees from Hutton's portrayal as an absent minded bumbler (of sorts). A very neat contrast that worked well within the dynamic of the comic.

I also had a couple of Ellery Queen novels...actual paper and ink, by gum!....lying around, at one point. Or, at least, I thought I did. I do know, though, that I started reading one and found it quite enjoyable so, I might have to use that $25.00 Kindle gift card my mom got me, for my birthday, to check out a few more EQ books.

For me, it's always been fun to try to "match wits" with Ellery Queen...as the old television show used to say, and it didn't matter in which form that exercise took. One day, maybe I'll even figure out "whodunit" before The Maestro (as Sgt. Velie used to call Queen) does....

Yeah, I doubt it, too. :P



In my writing, I've always gone the "safe route"....safe, at least, for me...in writing fiction/science fiction. There, the ideas come easy. As you can probably guess, especially if you read my previous entry, I'm trying my hand at some mystery writing. In doing that, I'm finding it much more challenging....but, in a good way.

I'm hoping that I can be the perpetrator in the 'whodunit' mystery titled "The Case of the Finished Novel" :)

Hemlock and Headlocks

O.k, so I've been working on a murder mystery story, of sorts, revolving around the world of Lucha Libre (Masked Mexican) wrestling.

The good thing is that I'm enjoying the exercise. A lot. It'll be no more than a short story, at best, but I find myself thinking about the plot and characters....even when I'm doing other things. I'm taking that as a good sign of interest.

The bad thing is, I want to try to make it as authentic as I can and, not being from Mexico...or a Lucha Libre wrestler....that could mean some research. I'm not sure just how much I want to do for a short story (at best!). I guess it would make for A). a better sotry and B). a better writing exercise, so we'll see. One of the definite advantages of not having a deadline.

I'm also hesitant to try to use "dialect" as I don't want it to sound cliche' or even hokey but I want the reader to have a real feel for the background of Lucha Libre, even if they've never heard of it beforehand.

Any tips/hints on how I should proceed?

While I'm mulling things over, I'll leave you with a small sample...the opening of my little tale.

The large, burly, man ducked under the glossy yellow tape that read ‘Police Line: Do Not Cross”.  As he crossed the threshold, a uniformed officer was already approaching.

“Sir, I’m sorry this is a…..oh…”

Wearing a pair of pressed, black, slacks, a matching sports coat and a crisp, white, t-shirt underneath, the burly man didn’t look too out of sorts. That is, until you went above the neckline. Doffing his black fedora, a shiny white mask covered his head with a thick, black, outline around his eye and mouth holes. The burly man stood tall after ducking under the tape….to around 6’4”.

The officer quickly stood aside. “Sorry sir, didn’t realize they had called you.”

“No worries, amigo”, the big man said, “would you like to see my i.d.?”

The officer smiled weakly and shook his head, waving the masked man in.

“El Ojo! About damn time you got here!!”

“My apologies, Inspector Martinez, my training class went long.”

“Trainin’ class? What sort of trainin’?”

The masked wrestler grinned, “Cooking. Today was flan.”

Inspector Martin just sighed. “Problem with you, Eye, is that I never know when you’re kiddin’. Anyways, what we got here is a corpse and five suspects. Each one has a reason that they’d like to see this here Prince Charmin’ six feet under.”

Beginnings Blogfest

L.G. Keltner is coming up on her one year blogging anniversary and, to celebrate, she's hosting a blogfest (wooohooo!!!) centering around...well...beginnings. How did 'such and such' get their start...things like that.

In my case, I'd like to talk about how I got started writing.

Waaaay back, when I was just a kid, I used to draw. A lot. Now, these weren't necessarily good drawings...mainly superheroes and stuff...but I really loved doing it. The walls of my room used to be covered with my own "originals".

 I also liked to read. A lot. In fact, family legend has it that I taught myself to read before I entered Kindergarten by watching Sesame Street and Mr. Rogers. My mom loves to tell the tale of how my teacher asked her what sort of 'program' she was using with me and she just laughed saying they had "bought me some books".

Both of those things, I think, sparked my imagination and set me on the path of wanting to create. Whether it be in the form of images or words, I've always liked 'telling tales'.

In high school, I took a creative writing course that most took as an 'easy credit'. I took the class seriously, much to the joy of the teacher, and was encouraged by his comments and critiques. I easily sailed through the class and kept writing in my spare time. Again, not much of note and I don't really remember any of the stories...but I was writing.

When I graduated high school, my graduation presents were

• A suit (for job interviews)
• An electric typewriter, with correction capabilities...no more white out...yay!! (for typing up resumes)

As you can probably tell, my parents were very "Go out into the 'real' world and get a good job!" oriented.

I wore the suit a few times, but really used the typewriter. To tell stories.

I used to have an old shirt gift box that served as my 'filing cabinet' for all my tales, but was thrown out in one of my many moves.

In college I randomly took an "Intro to Magazine Writing" course, the professor having been an editor at the Cincinnati Enquirer. I remember one night (it was a night course...get your mind out of the gutter), she stopped me as I was turning in a quiz.

"Hey, just curious, what's your major?"

"I'm not sure yet....I haven't decided."

"Have you ever thought of journalism? You have a unique writing style."

"Umm...no, I haven't...but I'll give it some thought."

After some thought, I figured it might be something I'd like to pursue, so I declared my major in Journalism. I minored in eating lunch in the cafe'.....they had some goooood food on campus.

Though I never graduated college, I always enjoyed the courses and found the whole process of writing/Journalism very interesting. After a while, though, I became a bit jaded with Journalism, dropped out of college and went to work in 'the real world'.

I'd still write every now and again, when something would spark my imagination, but never really thought of doing much with it until the past few years. Again, it's like something clicked and I wanted to find my voice and put it out there.

Out in the 'real world'.

So that's the exciting tale of how I got started putting words on paper and hoping they'd at least make sense, if not entertain.

Thanks L.G. for hosting this great blogfest idea :)